Tenant wants to install ceiling fans
Property Manager · Roxbury, CT · Member since 2018 · 30 posts · 20 votes
My tenant wants to put ceiling fans in the unit he is renting from me. He said, he would buy the fans and his brother, who is an electrician, would do the wiring and install the fans for free. There is no ceiling lighting now so the electrician would have to do the wiring from the switch box on the wall to ceiling.
My question is, 1) should I allow him to do it ? 2)Get the electrician’s license number. 3) reimburse the tenant by way of paying less rent?
If you want to install fans for the tenant then hire your own electrical contractor. Nothing more dangerous than having Tenants bro-in-law who is an "electrician" install some jacked up wiring in YOUR house. This is advice from a licensed master electrician (Me). The only thing electrical we allow our tenants to do is change light bulbs.
2 cents coming from the trade (In Norway, but I think this still applies);
1) in general it is very risky for people to do their own installations. always check credentials. Consider if it might be worth having your own people do it, even if it costs a bit.
2) If you want to let the tenants brother in law do it, *hire* his brother-in-law to do the job at discount prices and buy the fan yourself. At least that way you know what you're getting.
There is no way i would let a electrician, credited or not, do non-contract work on my property.
If anything goes wrong, you are economically liable and insurance will give you none of it.
@Adam Batcheller hope I didn't catch you too late. If you're the owner and that is something you want to allow then you should take precautions but it's a good thing to have a Tenant want to improve the property it 1) shows that they plan on making it a home and being there for awhile and 2) they are improving your property. Another added benefit is that your rental will now have ceiling fans which you can post for your next listing and make your unit more 'rentable' (doubt it will do anything to rents) for the next Tenant.
On whether your should pay for ANYTHING, you should consider whether it is something that you would have considered DOING anyway or not. For instance, if a Tenant asks if they can re-stain a deck, well of-course, the deck has to get restained sometime in the future and so that may warrant a monetary incentive, the Tenant would be happy for being able to do it and get a small incentive and the owner would be happy since it needed to be done anyway and it was done for a much lesser cost - win/win. So the paying issue is a personal question that you'll need to consider as well as the type of hardware that is going to be installed.
I would allow it; you can let them go out and pick the fans they want and provide you with 2-3 choices in fans, and you would have final say on which one will be installed (since you are after all going to have to keep these for future tenants), this will: 1) make the tenant feel like they have a say in the selection process (which again makes it feel like a home, which = occupancy) and 2) you ensure that a quality product which will appeal to future tenants is being installed.
On the installation itself, there is no issue having the Tenant use known contractor, but yes heed the warning from other members here and ensure that you make sure the electrician is certified and insured and be sure to collect these items prior to approval, ensure the tenant understands that the contractor must provide you with proof of certification and insurance. At no point should you give approval if they are not certified or insured. Make sure all of this is in writing through an addendum and have the tenant sign-off - include 1) the fan model to be installed; 2) a time window for installation and expiration date; 3) list the contractor to be used; 4) list the contractors cert and insurance policy #'s; 6) include that all contractor and equipment costs will be the tenant's responsibility; 5) include wording that the Tenant understands that the fans will become your property and remain with the property upon their move-out and 6) that if not installed properly the tenant will be responsible for the costs of having your electrician do a correct install which you will check for once it is fully installed.
Personally, I would allow them to pick 2-3 fans and pay for 50% of the fan cost through a credit on next month's rent (or month after completion) (this makes it clear that you have a say in the matter while also relieving you of the work to have to go out and look for the fans, if it's not the right price or what you want have them re-do their search); pick the one to be installed; then collect the contractor's certs and insurance information and verify; have tenant sign the addendum, once installed inspect the work.
Some may say that if the Tenant wants it they should just pay for it... well, sometimes it just makes sense and would actually benefit and help you make your rental more marketable for a much less cost than if you tried to do that by having to pay for it all yourself, also you decrease vacancy in 2 ways - one your tenant will most likely stay longer; two you no longer have to take half a day between turnovers to install them, you can turnover a better product faster. If you do it right you can definitely get a win/win, I wouldn't be surprised if they ask to upgrade something else if this is successful of which you will go down the same process, initially determining if it is to your benefit, etc., etc. If successful you may find you'll be able to update your unit, while benefiting from zero vacancy and then being able to market for a higher rent bracket (with more updates) on your next Tenant. We have done this many times before without issues and it is usually a win/win/win - we're happy to have saved the owner money / the tenant is happy making it their home / the owner is happy with an upgraded property for a fraction of the cost.
Have you asked him whether he will tear down the ceiling fan before moving out or leave it? No matter how, there is only benefit and no harm so if I were you, I will agree him to do it. But make sure his brother is a professional one and the installment will not damage the ceiling.